Dude, sad thing is, I'm better at Halo 1 than I am at Halo 2, and Halo 2 is harder. The pistol is a balenced weapon; everyone has one to begin with. But if you can't use the pistol, and you're one of those wussies that need Halo 2-esque autoaim, you'll get dominated by people who can. Play with any Pro or well-known player and they'll tell you how much better Halo 1 is. Anyways, I'd much rather pay for Xbox Live than a membership.